Protect me

Chapter 3

Kai

"Kai!"  Her voice.  I will never forget her screams in my head 9 years ago.  Nova.  It kept me awake at night.  Because that's the last I heard of her before she was killed.  So why does Warner bring this up to me.

I look at him and shrug my shoulders.  "What does this mean?" I ask and look at him as if it doesn't bother me.  He doesn't say anything but I know he catches every bit of emotion I feel.  "What should I do with a chess piece?"  I say and pick up the piece.  "What should I do with the Black Queen?"  I ask and more frustration surfaces.  "You used to call her the dark queen."  He says without emotion as he takes back the paper with the contract on it and puts it in a drawer.  I squeeze the chess piece and throw it at him in frustration.  Warner creates a protective shield around him for a second, causing the chess piece to bounce off it and fall somewhere to the ground.  And all while he calmly looks at me.

"I will also have to add to your planning that you do something about your aggression."  Warner says and looks at my schedule that is still on the desk.  "I don't have an aggression problem!"  I say angrily and throw the plan away.  Warner looks at it and then calmly looks at me.  "I have a problem with you that doesn't tell or explain anything to me. What's going on? And what does Nova's death have to do with this!"  I shout.

Only then does the realization dawn on me.  "The one you want. Is that the same one who killed Nova?"  Then I wonder.  Warner takes a deep breath and looks at me.  "Kai."  He says and looks at me as if waiting for me to have his full attention again.  "Nova is still alive."  I stare at him and wait for him to say something.  Repeated itself.  Because I clearly misheard that.  "She's alive. And you're the one who has to track her down and find out who she works for."  I blink.  Like I'm going to wake up from this ridiculous dream at any moment.  "She... Was dead... 9 years ago... You said she was dead..." I mumble, my brain still trying to process what's coming through. 

"That day we got you and Emma back after Drake's kidnapping, we thought you learned your lesson."  Warner says, leaning back more as he tells the story.  "That you couldn't just run away when you felt like having an adventure. But not even 5 hours later after you got back to your parents who were so happy and relieved, you snuck out of your house to look for Nova. Adam found you at that moment  . He then decided to tell you that Nova was dead. So you wouldn't look for her anymore."  I look at him with my mouth open. " When Adam told us what he said to you, Kenji and Nazeraa hesitated to tell you the truth.  But they were so afraid of losing you.  They were afraid you would endanger yourself again trying to find her.  So we all decided to keep the story that way.  For your own good."

I close my eyes and think of all the painful memories I feel from that time.  How guilty I felt then.  How many times I thought that things could have been different if I had just gone with her.  I have blamed myself so many times and for so long.  And now that I know she's alive... I could have looked for her a long time ago.  Being able to find her.  Being able to help her.  I will never forget the fear in her eyes and I failed her.
Tears sting my eyes.
They lied to me all these years.  My parents.  Juliette.  All of them.

I open my eyes and glare at him.  "Where is she?"  I ask.  I'm going to look for her.  I won't wait a second longer.  "If we knew that then I wouldn't need you."  Warner says.  "Then how do you know she's still working for the bad guys? Is she even still around? Are you sure she's still alive?"  I ask because somehow I still can't believe it.  Warner's hand goes to his keyboard and presses a few buttons.  The screen behind him turns on and a collage with photos of a girl with blonde golden hair is displayed.  Those eyes.  Those impressive bright blue eyes that are etched in my memory. 

I still remember when I saw them for the first time.  It's Nova.  It really is Nova.  I throw myself into my chair as I continue to stare at the different photos.  They are made of her different ages.  Most of the photos appear to be from video cameras.  She often stands among a crowd.  And she seems to be at important events.  In some photos she looks slyly into the camera as if challenging us.  She is beautiful in every photo.  Truly beautiful.  "She's clearly not afraid to show herself."  I mumble, unable to take my eyes off the photos.  I hear Warner press a key and the picture goes black again.  I blink a few times as if I've woken up from a dream.

Then I look back at Warner and realize I'm in a nightmare.  "She likes to show herself. She plays a game with us. Her powers have become stronger. She can move entire bodies. Like a puppeteer. That's why they never grab her."  I look at his desk and try to think.  "They?"  I ask and look at him again.  "What about you?"  "She avoids me. Because she knows she can't possess me. Just like Adam."  I stand and start walking around his office.  This allows me to think better.  "So you never thought about stealing my parents' powers. Becoming invisible and when you got close enough... Her... I don't know... Stunned or something."  I say as I continue walking around.  "I have done that."  I stop and look at him.  "You had her... You had her... Here... Definitely... You had her!"  I quickly walk towards him. 

"What happened?! Where is she!"  "She escaped. Everyone was ordered to stay away from her. Only I was allowed near her. I immediately tried to talk to her but she refused to say anything."  I can see myself trying to interrogate Warner Nova.  "I decided to give her some time. That was stupid of me. That same night, an idiot of a security guard wanted to get revenge on her for embarrassing him once. When he thought she couldn't do anything to him  and no one was watching them, he walked into the room where she was. Everyone could see on the camera images what he had planned to do with her. She was only 16 years old. Extremely dangerous. But still a child."  It sounds like Warner felt sorry for her.  “If Nova hadn't killed him, I would have.”  Warner says and looks angry for a moment at the memory.  "Nova saw an opportunity to escape because of his action. And she did so before anyone could intervene." He says.

I shake my head slowly.  "You should have said something to me. If she had the chance, I'm sure she would come to me."  "We tried that."  Warner says.  "What?"  I say confused.  "We expected Nova to try to get to you. So every moment you were alone in public we kept an eye on you."  "What!"  “But she never took the bait.”  "You've been using me! You've been watching me. All this time!"  I shout.  Then Warner's last sentence hits me.  She never took the bait.  She had the chance to come to me.  But she didn't do it... Maybe she knew I was being watched... Or she doesn't want to see me anymore." I rub my face as if that helps my brain work better.

"Then why am I here now?"  I then ask and look at Warner again.  "Because you're the only one who ever got close. She showed her emotions and she talked to you. She trusted you once. I'm sure you'll do it again. Plus, with your powers, you can use against her, block her so she can't hurt anyone."  'Good.  I, Nova, hereby promise that I will never use my power to take over your body' I wonder if she still keeps that promise after all these years.

"But before we put you in the line of fire, you have to train hard first."  Warner says and picks up my schedule.  I shake my head quickly.  "No. Forget that training. I'm not going to waste another second that you guys wasted. I'm going to find her."  I say and turn around and walk to the door.  But a protective shield forms around me like a cage.  I turn around.  "That was not the agreement."  Warner says, holding up the contract I had just signed.  I haven't even read it.  "You'll be staying here. And as soon as I think you're ready, I'll send you on a mission."  "What! You mean I can't go home? Or go somewhere else?"  I ask in surprise.  "Exactly. I know you'll be adventuring again as soon as you get the chance. Now that you have this information."  "You can't do this! I have a life besides work. You can't hold me captive!"  "It's for your own good Kai. And if we want to prevent a war, it's for the world too." 

"What about Emma? She'll be furious with you when she hears this."  I say and cross my arms.  Warner raises his eyebrow.  "And why is that?"  He asks.  A lot of people think Aaron Warner is fantastic.  But this man doesn't even know his own daughter.  "Because me and Emma are in love with each other."  I say with a grin.  "We've been dating behind your back for 3 years. Are you sure you still want to work with me?"  I say and look at my nails with interest.  I expect an outburst of anger from him at any moment.  That he shouts at me to get away.  "Emma isn't in love with you."  He then answers.  I chuckle.  He can't even accept it.  Poor man.  "Kai."  He says in a serious voice making me look at him.  Still a grin on my face.  But he looks... Confused and guilty.  "Emma...Isn't in love...with... you."  He then says more clearly and seriously.  My grin slowly disappears as realization dawns on me.  Warner means it.  Warner knows.  I hear something cracking in my body.  And I don't know if it's my heart.  Or my soul.